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Particulars of Christianity:
303 Bible Cosmology


Part 1: The Old Testament - Buildings in Heaven

Cosmology: Introduction and Definitions
Part 1: The Old Testament - Buildings in Heaven
Bodies in Heaven: Angels and Spirit Bodies
Humans and Angels: How Similar are We?
Hell in the Old Testament
Part 2: From Christ's Death to His Return
Part 3: Christ's Return Through His Millennial Reign
Part 4: The Final Judgment and Eternity
Replaced or Restored: "Restarts" vs. the First Start
Replaced or Restored: Genesis 1 and Angels
Replaced or Restored: Precedent Reveals Restoration (Part 1)
Replaced or Restored: Precedent Reveals Restoration (Part 2)
Replaced or Restored: More on the Creation of Angels (Part 1)
Replaced or Restored: More on the Creation of Angels (Part 2)
Cosmology: Composite Chart
Cosmogony Illustrations



This first time period extends from the creation account in Genesis to the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. In this section of our study, we will be attempting to establish correct Biblical definitions for heaven and hell and in particular, where the righteous dead went during this time and conversely, where the wicked dead went.

First, we'll start with a proper definition of "heaven." Even though this section of our study is devoted to an examination of the Old Testament prior to the coming of Christ Jesus, we will see that our description of heaven during that period of time will also apply to at least the second and third time periods that we have distinguished and will cover separately in this study (i.e. from the first coming of Christ to the second coming of Christ and from the second coming of Christ through the 1000 year reign to the Final Judgment).

Technically, the term "heaven" is used to refer to 3 separate notions, depending upon the context. These 3 separate definitions are listed below along with scripture verses that exemplify those definitions.

The term "heaven" sometimes refers to:
1.) outer space where celestial bodies such as stars, planets, galaxies, and moons, etc. reside. (Genesis 1:8,14-17.)
2) the sky, atmosphere, etc. surrounding the earth (Genesis 7:23.)
3) the place where God and angels currently reside as distinguished from the earth (Genesis 21:17, 22:11, 28:12, Colossians 1:16.)

Even the Hebrew word "shamayim" (Strong's No. 08064), which is used for "heaven" in Genesis 1:1, includes these 3 definitions.

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven (08064) and the earth.

08064 shamayim dual of an unused singular shameh
from an unused root meaning to be lofty; TWOT-2407a; n m
AV-heaven 398, air 21, astrologers + 01895 1; 420
1) heaven, heavens, sky
1a) visible heavens, sky
1a1) as abode of the stars
1a2) as the visible universe, the sky, atmosphere, etc
1b) Heaven (as the abode of God)

First, it is important to make note of these 3 distinct definitions or usages of the term "heaven" so that we do not confuse these concepts when we think about or talk about heaven. It is important for us to distinguish between these conceptually because, for example, God does not reside in the clouds hovering over planet earth. As we will soon demonstrate, the place where God and the angels currently reside does indeed have physical structures to it.

Second, it is important to discard the contemporary Christian usage of "heaven" to refer to a future time. Heaven is not a time; it is a place. It is no more accurate to refer to heaven as a time than to refer to earth as a time. In fact, this use of the term "heaven" to refer to a time is largely a result of the association of "heaven" as a synonym for the "kingdom of God." Because the kingdom of God refers to the coming reign of Christ on earth, it is appropriate to refer to "waiting for the kingdom of God to come." In that sense, the kingdom of God does refer to a future period of human history. By mistakenly using "heaven" and "the kingdom of God" as synonyms, it is common in modern Christianity for people to speak of heaven as a future period of time as well.

For the purposes of this study, however, we are focusing on definition 3 for the term "heaven."

3) Heaven - the place where God and angels currently reside as distinguished from the earth (Genesis 21:17, 22:11, 28:12, Colossians 1:16.)

We will now continue forward to demonstrate that heaven is a place comprised of physical structures, just as earth has physical dimensions to it as well. Or in other words, heaven is not an immaterial place. Rather, heaven is just as material as the visible world in which we live.

First, heaven has physical structures in it. The earthly temple and tabernacle of the Old Testament were based upon a pre-existent angelic tabernacle and temple.

Exodus 25:9 Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.

Exodus 25:40 See that you make them according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.

Numbers 8:4 This is how the lampstand was made: It was made of hammered gold - from its base to its blossoms. The lampstand was made exactly like the pattern the LORD had shown Moses.

Acts 7:44 "Our forefathers had the tabernacle of the Testimony with them in the desert. It had been made as God directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen.

Hebrews 8:5 They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: "See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain."

Furthermore, the earthly tabernacle and temples were not simply metaphorical illustrations of what heaven is like. That is to say, it is not that heaven itself is the pattern for the tabernacle and temple, but that in heaven there exist actual buildings (structures) of a temple. There is a temple of the tabernacle in heaven and the earthly tabernacle and temple were just copies of it.

Rev 7:15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

Rev 11:19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings , and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

Rev 14:17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.

Rev 15:5 And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:

Rev 15:6 And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.

Rev 15:8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

Rev 16:1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.

Rev 16:17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.

God's throne is presently located in this angelic temple.

Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Isaiah 6:1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. 4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. 6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: 7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

Rev 7:15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

Revelation 8:3 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne.

Rev 16:17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.

It is also extremely important to note that Christ Jesus himself entered into the heavenly temple when he ascended into heaven and purified it with his own blood.

Hebrews 9:11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; 12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

Hebrews 9:23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: 25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; 26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Now, given that the heavenly temple was in need of purification by the blood of Christ Jesus, the question arises, why was the heavenly temple in need of purification? Or in other words, what was it that had desecrated the heavenly temple in the first place? Well, on this note, we can perhaps only offer some speculation. Here is what the scripture tells us. The adversary (which is a translation of the Hebrew and Aramaic word "Satan") may have once attended in the angelic temple and by his sins he defiled it.

Ezekiel 28:13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. 14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. 15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. 16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. 17 Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. 18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries [04720] by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. 19 All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee: thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.

The Hebrew word for "sanctuaries" in Ezekiel 28 is "miqdash." The definition is provided below.

04720 miqdash {mik-dawsh'} (Ex. 15:17) {mik-ked-awsh'}
from 06942; TWOT - 1990f; n m
AV - sanctuary 69, holy place 3, chapel 1, hallowed part 1; 74
1) sacred place, sanctuary, holy place
1a) sanctuary
1a1) of the temple
1a2) of the tabernacle
1a3) of Ezekiel's temple
1a4) of Jehovah

As we can see from the definition above, miqdah can be used and is used to refer to the temple and tabernacle of God.

Notice Ezekiel 28's description that the "anointed cherub" walked "up and down in the midst of the stones of fire" which were "upon the holy mountain of God" and "defiled thy sanctuaries." This description of "sanctuaries" or temple buildings on the "mountain of God" where there is "stones of fire" seems quite similar to Isaiah 6's description of the "temple" of God in heaven where there are "seraphims" and "live coals" on an "altar."

Isaiah 6:1 In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. 4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. 6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: 7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

Based upon these similarities, we believe it is quite possible that the "anointed cherub" spoken of in Ezekiel at one time attended in the Temple of God in heaven and defiled it by "the multitude of [his] iniquities." If that is the case, and the devil did defile the Temple of God in heaven by his iniquities, that would also explain why Jesus had to "purify" the heavenly Temple with his blood, as Hebrews 9 clearly states he did. If the devil did not somehow defile that sanctuary, then why was it in need of purification by the blood of Jesus Christ?

Hebrews 9:11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; 12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us…19 For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, 20 Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. 21 Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. 22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. 23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: 25 Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; 26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Getting back to the point at hand, the abundance of scripture above thoroughly establishes that in the Bible "heaven" is a place where there are buildings and physical structures, or at least one building, a heavenly temple. Christ entered this temple and purified it with his own blood. And it is likely that this heavenly temple was in need of purification because of the disobedience of some of the angels who resided there. Since heaven has physical structures, it is fair to say that it is a material, albeit distinguished and currently separated by distance earth.



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(Figures 1-6)




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